106 BIKDS 3 NESTS. 



shrubberies, and places its nest high up in a 

 laurel, yew, cypress, or apple tree. While 

 incubation is going on, the male bird is in the 

 habit of perching in some neighbouring high 

 tree, where, for an hour or two together, he 

 repeats, at regular intervals, a monotonous 

 long-drawn chirrup, scarcely more musical than 

 the croak of a frog ; at other times, while 

 moving from branch to branch, he utters a 

 short inquiring note, resembling in tone some 

 of the softer notes of the Canary bird. The 

 nest is composed of moss and wool inter- 

 woven, laid on a foundation of small sticks, 

 and lined with fine roots, horse-hair, and 

 feathers. The eggs, five in number, are 

 bluish white, spotted at the larger end with 

 purplish grey and dark brown. 



